Changeable sign



Jan. 10, 192 1,655,524 G. J. TEAGUE CHANGEABLE SIGN Filed March 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

' UNITED STATES excites J. rnseunor LOS mennnscsnrronmn.

GHANGEABLE SIGN.

Application filed March 10, 1926. Serial No. 93,703."

This invention relates to signs and more particularly to a changing sign whichmay; be seen in the day time as well as at night. One of the objects'of, the invention is to a provide a sign constructed with aplurality of sign faces and with meansfor intermittently operating the same to expose said sign faces to difi'ernt points of view for short periods of time.

A more particular object is to provide a triangular shaped sign with means for intermittentlyrotating the same to expose the sides thereof successively to view, the sign being particularly adapted to be placed in HS front of a store or building so that during each of its periods of rest and exposure two sides of the sign may be seen from directly across the street, while said sides may be respectively seen from opposite longitudinal directions of the street.

' Another'object'is to provide a changeable sign with means for positively lockingthe same during its periods of rest and exposure.

' A further ob ect is to provide a sign of the character stated which will be simple in construction, inexpensive and. efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantageswill appear as the description progresses.

Myinvention is illustrated in the annexed drawings which form apart of thisspecification, and in which:

Fig. l'is a side elevation of my sign."

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of my sign taken on line 22 of Fig. '3.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of my sign taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sign board, showing the two sign faces thereof which are not shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the sign carrier taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding reference characters designate the same parts in all the views.

In the drawings 1 indicates a casing which is bolted to the front of a building or other structure by means of bolts 2 which extend through a flange 3 formed on the rear of the casing. The casing l is provided with a detachable bottom wall 4 which is secured to the lower part of the casing by means of bolts 5 andnuts 6' which bolts extend upwardly through said bottom wall, through an internal flange 7 011 the lower edge of the casing, and said nuts screw on the upper ends of said bolts against the top of the casbearing" l t-at the bottom of the case 11 in which the lower endof a vertical shaft 15 is ournaled,the-upper end of said shaft being 1ournaledin a bearing 16in the gear case. head 12. On the shaft 15-within the ear case 11 is secured a gear 17'with w ich meshes a worm 18 ona shaft 19' journaled in bearings 20 and 21 within a barrel 22 formed on one side of the gear case 11. The shaft 19 is coupledat its outer end by a flexible coupling 23 to the shaft 24 of an electric motor 25 which is bolted by bolts 26' tothe bottom wall 4 within the casin 1. The couplin 23 comprises a rubber fabric sleeve 23, an a pair of ring clamps 23 and23 which clamp the sleeve on shaft 19 and motor shaft 24.

A vertical shaft 27 is journaled .at. its lower end inabearing 28 in the gear case 11 and extends upwardly through the gear case head 12 and is journaledbetween its ends in a bearing29 in said head. On the head 12 concentric with the shaft, 27 is mounted an end thrust bearin which'resta driving head 31 whlch is fitted on the upper end ofthe shaft-27 and is securedthereto by setiscrew 32.

j An intermittent motion is transmitted from the shaft 15 to the shaft 27 through an intermittent movement 33 consistin of a drive member 34 and a driven mem er 35, the drive member being secured on the upper'end of shaft 15 and the driven member 35 being secured on the lower end of shaft 27.

The drive member 34 comprises a segmentalpinnion 36 with only two teeth 37 and 38 with single tooth space 38 therebetween,

vwhile the drive member 35 comprises a conventional pinnion 39, the teeth of which revolution'ofthe' drive member 3 L. Locking' meansdO are provided for locking the driven member 35 and shaft 27 during their.

periods of rest; which. means comprises a segmental disk 41, secured on the lower side 30 upon of the drive member 34, and three notches 42 cut in the lower edge of the driven member equi-distant apart to successively receive said disk, the disk being notched at 43 coincident with the space 38* to permit the teeth of the pinnion 39 or driven meme ber 35 to mesh with the teeth 37 and 38 of the drive member. I, I

On the lower end of the driving head 31 is mounted a commutator which consists of a ring of insulation 46 secured-on the lower.

end. of said mounting, a pair of metallic rings 47 and 48 secured on said insulation ring in spaced relation, and a pair of brushes 49 and 50 engaging said metallic rings respectively, said brushes being mounted on, a

over the opening 52 and forms a cover for said opening to prevent rain from dropping through said opening into the casing 1. The

wall of the casing 1 is raised slightly around the opening 52 as indicated at 56 to prevent water from flowing into said opening. The

upper end of the mounting 31is formed with a seat- 57 in which rests the lower end of a spindle 58 of a rotatable sign carrier 60, whereby said sign carrier s supported. On thelower end of the carrier shaft 58 is securedby means of set screw61 a sleeve 62.

The sign carrier is coupled by a flexible coupling 63, to the sign mounting 31, said.

coupling comprising a rubberfabric sleeve 64 and a pair of ring. clamps 65 and 66, and

, said sleeve being fitted on the reduced upper end" 53 of said sign mounting and on the sleeve 62 and clamped thereon by said clamps respectively. I The carrier 60 s triangular in crossv section and comprises a lower triangular frame member 70, an upper triangular frame member 71 three vertical angle irons 7 2 secured at their lower and upper ends to said lower and upper triangular frame members and 71 respectively, and three sign plates 7 3, 74 and 75, each of which plates beingsecured at its lower and upper ends to said frame members and at its side edges'to two of said angle irons, and closing one side of the carrier.

The lower frame member 7 O and'the upper frame member 71 are secured centrally on the shaft 58. The shaft 58 isj'ournaled in a bearing 68 on a bracket 69 secured to the front of abuilding. In the plate 73 are cut openings 76 in a vertical row forming the letters and word Drugs, in which openings are fitted raised glass letters 77. In the plate 74 are cut openings '78 in a vertical row forming the letters and word Soda, in which openings are fitted raised glass letters 7 9. *In the plate 75 are cut openings in a vertical row, forming the letters and Word Lunch, in which openings are fitted raised glass letters 81. Electric lights are mounted in the carrier 60 on brackets 86 secured on the carrier shaft 58, which lights are connected by wires 87 and 88 to the commutator rings 47 and 48 respectively. The commutator brushes 49 and 50 are connected bywires 89 and 90 to the motor terminals 91 and 92 respectively.

The operation of my invention is as fol lows: The motor 25, through coupling 23, shaft 19, worm 18 and worm gear 17, rotates the shaft 15 and the intermittent drive member 34, which member intermittently rotates the driven member 35, which in turn,

through the medium of shaft 27, head 31,,

flexible coupling 63, sleeve 62 and shaft 68, intermittently rotates the sign carrier 60. During each period of rest ofthe sign car- 'ier is locked by the engagement of the edge of the disk 41 with a notch 42.

The sign is mounted so that when the sign carrier 60 is at rest, two of its signs, either Drugs and lunch, Lunch and soda or Soda and drugs face frontwise of the de vice and may be seen across the street, while two of said signsivill respectively face the street longitudinally in opposite directions.

What I claim is:

1. An advertising sign comprising a driving nechanisn'i including an intermittently rotatable shaft,a casing enclosing said mechanism, a rotatable sign carrier above said casing having a spindle depending therefrom, a bearing insaid casing, a driving head on said intermittently rotatable shaft, adjacent said bearing and projecting through anopening in said casing, a flexible coupling operably connecting said driving head and said carrier shaft, and a bearing above said carrier alined with the bearing in said casing for rotatably supporting said carrier shaft.

2. An advertising sign as characterized in claim 1 includin a flanged member carried on said driving head below said coupling,

and covering the opening in said casing for preventing the entrance of water into the casing.

3. An advertising sign as characterized in claim 1 including contact devices mounted within said casing, and including mem bers carried on said driving head, and electric lights within said carrier connected in circuit therewith for illuminating the car- T161.

ononen J. TEAGUE. 

